Where to Begin

Making arrangements for yourself and your loved ones isn't easy, but Bellefontaine's compassionate staff is here to guide you through the process.

To make immediate arrangements for a loved one, contact the cemetery office at 314-381-0750. If you are interested in pre-planning for yourself or for your family, get started by reading through the following frequently asked questions.

Why is pre-planning important?

Making pre-need arrangements offers many benefits to you and your loved ones. While many of us invest in end-of-life planning from retirement funds to wills, burial planning is often left out of the equation. Yet neglecting this important step can leave your family with the stress and cost of making arrangements during an already difficult time. Pre-need arrangements offer the invaluable gift of peace of mind, ensuring that your family can mourn together rather than shopping around for a cemetery lot.

Can Bellefontaine accommodate my unique wishes?

Our staff will work with you to honor your wishes, whatever they may be. We are committed to serving both our established and new families, and are able to accommodate cremation, full burial, green burial, memorials without remains, and many other options. If you have not yet made a decision about your interment preferences, we are happy to walk you through specific options. Our prices accommodate most budgets, whether modest or substantial.

Who can be buried in the cemetery?

While Bellefontaine is known as the resting site of many historical figures, for every famous burial, there are hundreds of everyday people. As a non-profit, non-denominational cemetery, we are the final resting place for people of all faiths and walks of life. Bellefontaine was founded over 165 years ago to serve all citizens of St. Louis, and that continues to be an important part of our mission today.

Do I need to buy a grave or lot, or can I be buried on an established family lot in the cemetery?

Over the past 165 years, families and individuals have established over 6,900 private lots at Bellefontaine. Many of these lots were purchased with the intention of creating a legacy, through providing a place for family members to be buried together for generations to come. If you are a descendant of the original lot owner (purchaser) of a lot at Bellefontaine, you, your spouse, and your descendants most likely have rights of interment on that lot. If you are interested in learning more about who is buried at Bellefontaine, please consider our burial search tool at the bottom of the page, or contact the cemetery office, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you with establishing your rights of interment.

What if my family lot is full, or I have family I would like to move from another cemetery?

Just as families move to new homes as they outgrow old ones, for hundreds of years families have also moved their loved ones to new resting places. In fact, Bellefontaine was founded in 1849 in part because many of St. Louis’ cemeteries had closed, moved, or were too small to accommodate the needs of the city’s burgeoning population. In its first two years of operation, almost half of burials at Bellefontaine were re-interments of people and families moved from other cemeteries. Still today, families move within Bellefontaine when their old lots are full, and move from other cemeteries when they want to bring family together from different locations, or have concerns about finances or maintenance if their cemetery has fallen on hard times.

I know that I wish for my final resting place to be Bellefontaine Cemetery. Now what?

To browse a few of our available private lots online, please visit our interactive map. For an appointment to tour available graves, niches, and lots, please contact the cemetery office at 314-381-0750. Want to learn a little more about cemeteries and your options in general? Email us or call us and we’d be happy to answer questions and provide solutions.